Innis Library

We had planned to shut down Innis at the end of term to make way for a new building, but COVID-19 compelled us to close our doors a bit earlier. As of March 19, 2020, Innis Library (Business) is no longer open to the public. Thank you for 46 wonderful years!

Innis Library History

Background

Innis was the business library on central campus for almost 46 years (July 1974 to March 2020). A new Innis Library is expected to open in a few years when the McLean Centre for Collaborative Discovery is completed.

Explore this page to learn and reminisce about the original Innis Library and its namesake.

Course Reserves

Some instructors will put course materials (e.g., textbooks, readings) on reserve at the library for short-term loan (e.g., 2 hours). These materials are noted in the Course Reserves listing. Search by course code or instructor.

The MILLS Service Desk (1st floor) will house course reserves for undergraduate Commerce and some graduate courses in Business and Finance. Take note of the call number and status of the reserve item when requesting it from the Service Desk.

Course Reserves

Some instructors will put course materials (e.g., textbooks, readings) on reserve at the library for short-term loan (e.g., 2 hours). These materials are noted in the Course Reserves listing. Search by course code or instructor.

The MILLS Service Desk (1st floor) will house course reserves for undergraduate Commerce and some graduate courses in Business and Finance. Take note of the call number and status of the reserve item when requesting it from the Service Desk.

Article/Chapter Scans

If you would like the library to scan one article from a print journal or one chapter from a print book available in McMaster libraries, use ourscan and send service.

Eligible titles will have a button in the fullCataloguerecord.CurrentMcMaster students, faculty and staff can select this button and complete the resulting form to request a scan from the library at no charge. A link to the scanned PDF will be emailed to you within 24-48 hours during weekdays.

Innis Library Closed for Construction

Although Innis Library's last chapter in Kenneth Taylor Hall (KTH-108) came to an end on March 19, 2020, our story will continue on the third floor of the McLean Centre for Collaborative Discovery, expected to open in 2023/24.

Virtual Tour of Innis

Brief History of Innis Library

Innis Library (circa 2014), located on the north side of campus in Kenneth Taylor Hall (KTH-108)

In the late 1960s, when the plans for the Arts III building were being finalized, it was decided that the new home for the Faculties of Anthropology, Business, Economics, Political Science and Sociology would also include a study space for the students in those Faculties.

In 1971 when the newly dubbed Kenneth Taylor Hall opened to the campus community its new study hall featured seating for about 90 students as well as a caged area that housed reserve material for courses offered by the various Faculties. Materials would be accessible only for a few hours a day, courtesy of a temporarily transplanted staff member from Mills Memorial Library.

This new space was named after Harold Innis, famed economist, communication theorist and McMaster alumnus. The Innis Room was quickly embraced by students from the moment it opened its doors.

The heaviest users of the Innis Room were from the Faculty of Business. To compete with business programs at other universities, McMaster pursued accreditation. One of the requirements for this level of certification was to have a dedicated business library.

In the fall of 1973, after much deliberation and negotiation with the adjoining Faculties, it was decided that the Innis Room would become known as a business library. A full-time librarian was hired and plans for the transition began to take shape.

In the early summer of 1974, the Innis Room was closed so that the reserve cage could be removed. Books, shelves and furniture were also transferred from Mills Library.

On July 2, 1974 the Innis Room officially re-opened as a business library and soon boasted over 5,000 reserve items. Despite its modest size, the space saw approximately 180,000 people pass through its turnstiles in its first year of operation.

Traffic at Innis continued to grow at a steady pace throughout the seventies and into the eighties. By the end of that decade, it had become quite clear that overcrowding had become a problem, exacerbated by the steady growth of its book and periodical collections.

By the early nineties, when construction began on the DeGroote School of Business building, a major expansion and renovation of Innis was integrated into the plan, eventually more than doubling its floor space and seating capacity and most symbolically, changing its designation from “Room” to “Library”.

Over the decades, microfilm and print have slowly been usurped by the proliferation of online databases which provide access to countless reports and articles in thousands of periodicals. Despite the changes in technology and access to information, the needs of McMaster’s business and commerce students remain very similar to those of the early seventies; to find reliable and relevant information, quickly and efficiently.

Innis Library has proudly been taking care of business for 40 years and will continue to strive for new and innovative ways to serve its users.

Still not sure where to find relief? Watch this short video to help you pinpoint these washroom locations.

Databases

The Library subscribes to hundreds of databases which contain full-text articles (from academic journals, popular/trade magazines & newspapers), company profiles, financial data, industry reports and statistics. Some of our most popular business databases include:

Use the Catalogue to find the location, status and availability of books, journals, magazines, newspapers, government publications, working papers, videos and more in ALL McMaster libraries. The Catalogue includes items in all formats (print, online, microform, etc.).